Thanks for your interest in the DemiCon 25 "Formal" Masquerade and Cosplay! Unlike the Friday night "Hall Costume" contest, the Saturday evening event gives you a chance to strut your clever and cunningly- crafted attire in front of a captive (although voluntarily so)audience. Prizes will be awarded for the costumes deemed by our judges to be the best of the best.

If you've participated in masquerades before, then you're already familiar with the thrill of hearing the "oooohs" and "aaaahs" of an audience eager to appreciate your handiwork and presentation skills. If you've NOT tried your hand as a contestant in the past, then get ready for one of the biggest endorphin rushes one can experience at an SF con. Once you've walked across that stage in your jaw-dropping Renaissance garb, or as your favorite anime character, or wherever your creative muse has taken you, you'll be hooked -- we promise!

We're making a few changes this year to accommodate a wider variety of needs and styles. Take a look at what the DemiCon masquerade is doing to make your stage experience even more awesome:

WHAT'S NEW:

- First: Please note that we've slightly redubbed this event to the "Masquerade AND COSPLAY". In the past, it apparently hasn't been clear that cosplay entries are considered masquerade-worthy, and are most welcome! So, if have a character with a costume, and an idea about how to show it off, please -- do join us!

- Second: This year, we are lifting the rule barring pieces entered into the hall costume contest on Friday night from competing in the formal masquerade and Cosplay on Saturday. So, even if you strutted it from basement programming to top-floor consuite on Friday, we're happy to have you parade it across the stage the next evening as well.

- Third: We are relaxing the requirement that participants must be signed up, with paperwork turned in, for the masquerade/cosplay by noon on Saturday. The Saturday noon deadline is now ONLY for those participants who want to avail themselves of a technical rehearsal. So, if you have a skit or choreographed entry, have special music or  audio requirements, or want to make sure that the emcee knows your  presentation well enough to introduce it just the way you want it  handled, then yes -- you need to get your paperwork in by 12:00 p.m.  Saturday, and schedule a tech rehearsal slot for Saturday afternoon.  BUT...

...If you're primarily interested in simply having your costume introduced for a walk (or twirl) across the stage, and do not require special music or advanced rehearsal, you may submit your entry paperwork as late as 6 p.m. on Saturday. And, better yet, you can select an appropriate, mood-setting musical backing for your presentation from our tech crew's list of ready-to-go songs. How easy -- and cool -- is that?

- Fourth: For the enthusiastic, forward-thinking, and well-prepared costume crowd, you'll want to note that we will be instituting online registration in advance of the convention this year. While not required, online registration helps us to more thoroughly and efficiently prepare for helping you to make the most of your moment in the spotlight. Ready to register now? Great! Click here to access the online registration form.

OTHER STUFF TO KNOW:

- The masquerade will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday evening. Adult participants should report to the green room (Ballroom D) by 7:15; junior participants (ages 13 and under) should report to the green room by no later than 7:30.

- You must have a DemiCon 25 membership to take part in the Masquerade and Cosplay. You can follow this link to view registration for DemiCon 25.

- There is no private dressing facility in the green room -- so if modesty is an issue, you'll need to don at least your lowest layer either in your hotel room, or in the nearby hotel restroom facility, before reporting in. Both the men's and women's restrooms have a large "handicapped" stall suitable for clothing changes.

- DemiCon recognizes three entry categories: Apprentice (a.k.a. Junior -- for contestants aged 13 years and younger), Artisan (ages 14 and up), and Exhibition (for show only; not entered for judging consideration). There will be "Best of Apprentice" and "Best of Artisan" awards presented, as well as a "Best of Show" that can be selected from either category. In addition, the judges will be given leeway to present a few "honorable mention" awards, which may include things such as: Best Presentation, Best Media Recreation, Best Use of Materials -- or whatever else they deem fit in order to recognize our contestants' outstanding work.

- For those opting to avail themselves of a tech rehearsal, you will be granted a 10-minute slot to practice with the emcee and tech crew on Saturday afternoon. You can sign up for your tech rehearsal time when you submit your entry paperwork -- but in order to be granted tech rehearsal time, we will need your paperwork by noon on Saturday. It is not necessary to come to your rehearsal in your full costume -- but for best results, we do recommend bringing along any special props, headgear, and/or footwear that are part of your ensemble, as those are the items most likely to cause unexpected challenges during a presentation.

- Persons scheduling a tech rehearsal should bring any special music or audio files with them if the presentation requires it. Preferred format is .mp3 or .aif files on a flash drive or CD. Our sound crew may or may not be able to accommodate other formats, so deviate from these guidelines at your own risk.

- We will have a photographer available to take studio-quality pictures of you in your masquerade garb. You should plan to be prepared for your photo shoot during the pre-event green room time, although our photographer MAY be available for a brief period after the conclusion of the masquerade if you don't get around to having your portrait snapped earlier.

- After your time on stage, we recommend that you remain in costume until all entries have been presented (although you can certainly temporarily remove pieces if some "breathing time" is required), so that you may participate in the post-masquerade "photo run" across the stage for the photographers in our audience. This is optional -- but after having gone to all that hard work to make the costume, don't you want to give everyone else as much opportunity as possible to enjoy it?

- After the photo run (or sooner, for those who opt not to do the "catwalk" thing), participants may remove any or all portions of their costume, and are invited to sit in the audience to enjoy the halftime show, and to be present when the judges return from deliberation to announce the awards.

Questions? The sooner you ask, the better. Direct inquiries to Jeannette Roth -- your humble DC25 masquerade/cosplay director -- at masqueradecosplay@demicon.org.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I will be attending a business conference in New York the weekend prior to DemiCon, with a schedule return date of approximately two days before the convention. Therefore, I will not be around to answer questions for approximately a week-and-a-half prior to the con. I'll be around at the con itself, of course, and you can grab me there. But if you have a logistical or other complex question, 'tis best to try to reach me well before the last minute, so that I can be prepared, and give your inquiry the attention it deserves.